TWO WEEKS LATER

Samuel stood in front of his bathroom mirror, he stared at his reflection with tired eyes. The once bright and hopeful spark in his eyes had dulled, replaced by a hardened resolve and a constant vigilance. His clean-shaven face was now adorned with a two week old growing patchy beard. His dark curly brown hair had grown unkempt, falling over his forehead.

Samuel's eyes wandered to the dark circles that now framed them. The lack of sleep, the constant fear, and the mental and emotional toll of the past weeks had etched itself into his features. He looked older, wearier, and a shadow of his former self.

Turning on the faucet, Samuel splashed some cold water on his face, hoping to refresh himself and wash away the fatigue that seemed to settle in his bones. With a sullen sigh Samuel stepped away from the mirror, sluggishly exiting the bathroom. With short tired strides, Samuel moved across his new lounge room. The room was compact but orderly, showing signs of a meticulously planned existence.

Against one wall stood a small, makeshift supply station. Rationed food items were stacked neatly in piles, sorted by type and expiration date. Cans of beans, tuna, and vegetables were arranged in rows, while packages of dried fruit, nuts, and energy bars were carefully lined up next to them. Samuel had done his best to make the most of the limited resources available.

A foldable camping stove and a few fuel canisters, which Samuel had luckily found in the floor below his, were placed on a small table near the supply station. The aroma of dehydrated soup mix still lingered in the air. Four gallon-sized water tanks, Samuel took from the water dispensers in the administration room, were neatly aligned in a corner. Makeshift plugs tightly sealed the caps of the tanks to prevent any wastage.

Beside the water tanks, a compact medical kit lay open and partially used. Bandages, antiseptic, pain relievers, and other supplies were neatly arranged. Across the room was Samuel's bedroom. His bed was neatly made, though its sheets were worn and slightly rumpled from nights of fitful sleep. A thin blanket and a sleeping bag were carefully folded at the foot of the bed, ready to provide warmth during colder nights.

Next to the bed, a small table served as a nightstand, holding a dimly lit lantern and a paperback book. The electrical power for the hotel went out five days ago, which left Samuel in complete darkness.

Grabbing his book from the nightstand, Samuel stepped out onto the balcony. Gazing out at the large dead city, the evening sun casted a warm glow over the abandoned cityscape, creating a surreal ambiance.

Settling down into a foldable lawn chair, Samuel opened the book and immersed himself in its pages. The soft breeze gently rustled the pages as he read, offering a momentary relief from the confined walls of the hotel room. With each turn of the page, Samuel found himself transported to another world, momentarily forgetting the harsh reality he was living in. The characters and their adventures provided a temporary escape from the constant trauma and fear he had been in for weeks.

Birds nearby fluttered past the balcony, happily chatting as they flew past. Samuel's eyes drifted away from his book locking on with distant towering buildings. His mind lost in tranquility and peace.

Suddenly, Samuel's head swivelled, as he heard distant faint scratching echoing from the hallway.  His heart skipped a beat as fear gripped him. Carefully placing the book open on the page he was reading, Samuel hesitantly got up from his chair, stepping back inside.

Reluctantly stepping towards the front door, Samuel grabbed a hammer, which was resting on his kitchen counter. Gripping the hammer tightly in his hand, he approached the hallway. The scratching sounds continued, growing slightly louder, causing his pulse to race.

Samuel peaked his head down the hallway, realising the sound was coming from behind the closed stairwell door. Stepping out from his room, Samuel cautiously walked towards the noise.

Stiffly holding the hammer, he stood in front of the stairwell door, his other hand hovering over the doorknob. With a deep breath, he slowly turned the knob, ready to defend himself.

As the door creaked open, expecting a biter to lunge upon him, he was surprised to see a small injured puppy huddled on the floor, whimpering softly. Its eyes were filled with fear and pain, and its tiny body was covered in dirt and dust. Samuel's heart softened as he realized the little creature was not a threat but in desperate need of help. The puppy had a shaggy dark brown outer coat giving it a jaunty appearance. It's under coat however was soft. Samuel noticed the puppy was a cairn terrier.

Gently setting the hammer aside, he knelt down beside the injured puppy. It trembled under his touch, but Samuel spoke softly and soothingly, trying to reassure the frightened animal. He carefully examined the puppy's wounds and found a deep gash on its hind leg. Samuel carefully carried the puppy into his apartment. Gently placing the injured puppy on a comfortable pillow, he raced to grab the first aid kit.

Samuel cleaned the wound with antiseptic and carefully bandaged it to prevent infection. The puppies frail tail wagged, showing gratitude for the care it was receiving. Samuel gently petted the puppy's soft head whispering, "You're going to be okay."

Leaving the puppy on the pillow, Samuel prepared a small bowl of water and some of the canned tuna from his supply, realizing he would need to ration his own food even more now. The puppy eagerly lapped up the water and ate the food, it's tail began to wag with more strength.

"What's your name?" Samuel asked the puppy as it was focused on it's food.

Realising the puppy had a collar with a name tag, Samuel spun the collar around, reading the tag out loud, "Lexi." The puppy's ears shot up with excitement.

"How did you get inside?" Samuel asked confused, gently stroking her fur.

Samuel pondered how Lexi could have made her way into the hotel. It was possible that she had been wandering the abandoned city and somehow found her way into the building seeking shelter.

After devouring her food, Lexi laid its small shaggy head on top of Samuel's thigh. Her eyes fondly stared up at his. Samuel gently pet her head, Lexi's eyes shut closed falling into a much needed deep sleep.

"I can't imagine what you've been through little one. But you're safe now." Samuel whispered with a caring smile.

Gazing towards the open front door, Samuel looked out into the hallway. He eyed his old hotel room, which he had boarded up with wooden planks, attempting to lock the bad memories away.

Samuel's head drifted backwards resting against the arm of his couch. Like Lexi, his eyes tiredly began to shut close. Before he managed to fall into a deep sleep, a loud voice called out from the hallway.

"Hello?" The voice echoed against the tight hallway walls, Samuel immediately awoke pushing Lexi off of his lap.

Searching for his hammer, Samuel remembered he had left it in the hallway. Instead he grabbed a loose wooden plank propped up against the wall. Tightly holding the plank with both of his hands, Samuel showed himself, stepping into the hallway.

An old man, with a large grey beard and crazy curly hair, stood still at the end of the hallway. The man had old, oversized, dirty, ripped clothing. Holding a small backpack in his hand, the man grinned menacingly. This was the first time Samuel has made contact with another human-being since Keaton.

"Hey kid. There really was someone sitting on the balcony, thought I was seeing things." The man spoke with tobacco filled lungs.

Samuel clenched the wooden plank tighter as the man took a single step forward, "I'm not going to hurt you kid. I'm looking for something. A pup. Happen to see her?" The man asked.

With pouted lips Samuel shook his head, "There's no dog here."

The old man's grin became larger as he looked more agitated, "I was hunting the mongrel. Ran out of food a couple days ago. There isn't much left to eat."

"I know how you feel. I'm running low." Samuel responded.

"Living in a place like this, I don't believe that. I bet you've got a good stash." The man snickered.

"I didn't ration enough, I've only got scraps." Samuel lied.

The old man's eyes drifted to the boarded up hotel room, confused he pointed to the room, "What's behind there?" The man asked.

"It's just a room." Samuel responded briefly.

"Why is it boarded up?" The man wondered.

"It's full of bad memories." Samuel darkly responded.

The man was about to speak when his eyes dropped to Samuel's feet. "I don't respect people who lie." The man angrily said.

Samuel looked down to the floor seeing Lexi timidly hiding underneath him. Stumped for words, Samuel stared into the man's eyes as he licked his dried lips.

"Give me the mutt." The man demanded, slowly stepping towards Samuel.

Under pressure, Samuel's voice muttered, "I'll trade you all my food."

The man came to a halt, a smile was brought to his face, "That's a fair trade." He agreed.

Samuel desperately ran back into his hotel room, grabbing a duffel bag he filled it with his collected canned goods. Once cleared out his stock, he zipped up the bag and raced back to the hallway.

Samuel threw the heavy duffel bag under the man's feet. "It's all there?" The man asked.

"That's all I have. Now leave us alone." Samuel pleaded.

"Pleasure doing business with you kid." The man coughed as he sluggishly limped out through the stairwell door. Peering out through the open door, the man left with one last word "Nothing lasts forever kid. Soon enough this place is gonna burn."

Ignoring the man, Samuel immediately closed and locked the stairwell door with the keys he had found behind the reception counter. Frustrated, Samuel stepped back into his hotel room, closing and locking the front door behind him.

Angrily Samuel punched the wooden door hard screaming, "Fuck!"

Lexi let out a soft guilty mope. She was sitting back on the cushion, with her tail wagging apologetically.

"It's okay girl. I'm okay." Samuel said calling himself down.

He gently sat down next to Lexi, petting her shaggy fur. As the evening wore on, Samuel found himself sitting in the dim light of the lantern, with Lexi curled up at his feet. The events of the day had left him emotionally drained, but the presence of the little puppy brought him a sense of comfort and companionship he had been longing for.

With a heavy heart, he couldn't help but think about the old man's warning. The fear of danger lurking outside the hotel room haunted him, but he was also determined not to let his guard down. He knew he needed to stay alert.

Samuel's eyes grew tired once more. His heavy head kept dropping down, passing out from exhaustion. He sprung awake whenever his eyes shut closed, still in fear of the old man's possible presence.

Eventually his exhaustion beat him. He closed his eyes and surrendered to sleep, finding comfort in the steady rhythm of Lexi's breathing.

The sound of Lexi's loud barks awoke Samuel. His eyes sluggishly opening to the morning sun slowly creeping through the curtains, gently rousing him from his rest. He stared down at Lexi who was clearly distraught.

The air inside the room was stuffy and full of black smoke. Samuel's nostrils flared from the smell of burning wood, mixed with a sharp acrid smell which was burning his nose and throat.

Standing to his feet, Samuel tiredly walked to his balcony, sliding open the door, black smoke engulfed the room, causing Samuel to aggressively cough. Stepping outside, his heart stopped, seeing a roaring fire underneath him, eating away at the building.